A new high-speed undersea cable connecting East Africa with the rest of the world is poised to go live, Kenya’s top internet official has told the BBC.
The launch of the government-backed East African Marine System (Teams) comes as providers face a backlash over slow connection speeds and high prices.
Internet providers have increased speeds and lowered costs since the Seacom cable went live in August.
Kenya’s top internet official
But users say services still remain too expensive for most ordinary Kenyans.
Senior government official Bitange Ndemo said there was evidence that some internet service providers (ISPs) were “fleecing the public”.
Almost two months after the first high-speed cable made landfall, the highest residential internet speed offered by Kenya’s largest ISP remains capped at one megabit per second (Mbps).
That speed is available only at night and at weekends, for an annual cost of $1,440 (£860). The average Kenyan annual wage is about $800, the UN estimates.
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